Environ Monit Assess (2020) 192:184 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-020-8138-0 Using high-frequency phosphorus monitoring for water quality management: a case study of the upper River Itchen, UK Gary R. Fones & Adil Bakir & Janina Gray & Lauren Mattingley & Nick Measham & Paul Knight & Michael J. Bowes & Richard Greenwood & Graham A. Mills Received: 16 July 2019 /Accepted: 5 February 2020 # The Author(s) 2020 Abstract Increased concentrations of phosphorus (P) in distinct locations in the upper River Itchen (Hampshire, riverine systems lead to eutrophication and can contribute UK) between May 2016 and June 2017 to identify the to other environmental effects. Chalk rivers are known to main P species (including filterable reactive phosphorus, be particularly sensitive to elevated P levels. We used total filterable phosphorus, total phosphorus and total par- high-frequency (daily) automatic water sampling at five ticulate phosphorus) present and how these varied tempo- rally. Our filterable reactive phosphorus (considered the biologically available fraction) data were compared with Electronic supplementary material The online version of this the available Environment Agency total reactive phospho- article (https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-020-8138-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. rus (TRP) values over the same sampling period. Over the trial, the profiles of the P fractions were complex; the : G. R. Fones (*) A. Bakir major fraction was total particulate phosphorus with the School of the Environment, Geography and Geosciences, mean percentage value ranging between 69 and 82% of University of Portsmouth, Burnaby Road, Portsmouth PO1 3QL, UK the total P present. Sources were likely to be attributable to e-mail:
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